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When it comes to archery accessories, it's hard to think of one less glamorous than the quiver. Unlike arrows and broadheads you don’t get to watch them impact your target with the telltale “thud” all bowhunters love to hear. Unlike sights they don’t have any fancy micro adjustments or fiber optics to play with. No, the quiver is a relatively simple device with one purpose – to hold your arrows until they are ready to be shot. Let’s face it, nobody has ever killed an animal and stopped to thank their quiver.

However with all of that said, I feel quivers are one of the accessories that have benefited the most in recent years from new innovations. The new Game Changer quiver is no exception to that.

When I was first introduced to the Game Changer by Apex Gear at this year’s Mathews Retailer show in the Wisconsin Dells, I immediately took a shine to it. Anyone who has read my Blogs for any length of time (all 12 of you) knows I’m a fan of archery gear that is rugged and durable. When I drop my bow or hit it up against a tree as I’m fighting my way through a briar patch in the dark (I get lost a lot) I don’t want to worry about breaking things or items falling off my bow. The Game Changer seems to have been built with guys like me in mind.

The new Game Changer arrow quiver from Apex Gear. It even comes in Lost Camo to match my new Heli-m, which is important. What will the deer think if they're killed by a guy whose accessories don't even match??

First off let’s cover the basics. The body of the Game Changer quiver is made from CNC machined aluminum. That means its metal, and I like metal. Metal is strong and aluminum is light weight; both qualities that I look for in a quiver.

Next, the Game Changer features dual arrow grippers. Grippers keep my arrows in place and make sure they’re still there when I get to my treestand. I like that. One area I can’t comment on that has been brought up by more than a few bowhunters over the years is how do the grippers work with thin arrow shafts, like the Easton Axis or Injexion. Well, I’m shooting Carbon Express Maximas so I don’t know. Sorry guys.

The hood of the Game Changer features what’s called a “Tru Touch” soft feel coating, which gives it an almost velvet-like feeling. While it feels cool when I rub my fingers on it, I’m not sure how it really helps make the quiver any better.

In addition to the Tru Touch coating, the quiver’s hood does feature several rubberized inserts that help dampen vibration for those hunters who still shoot with their quiver on. I’m not one of those guys, so they don’t do much for me.

The built-in vibration dampeners are nice, but not very useful for those of us who prefer to shoot quiver-off.

Inside the hood you’ll find a “technical” rubber lining with little cups to hold your broadheads in place. I prefer this type of liner versus the traditional foam that can dull broadheads over time as they are taken in and out. Although getting your arrow into the cup every time is a bit of a chore, especially when it’s dark. If Apex could somehow color those circles in bright orange we’d be in business.

Sure, they're easy to see now when I use the camera flash. But in the dim light of an autum eve, I'll never be able to see these without some help.

Now we come to the good stuff, and probably the biggest selling point of the Game Changer – the mounting system. The mounting bracket that screws onto your bow sight is extremely small and light weight, which means it’s not obtrusive unlike some mounts. The quiver itself features a cam-lock type latching system that locks the quiver in place. You can very easily take the quiver off with one hand, although putting it back on can be a bit of a chore sometimes. I’m hoping once I wear the connection in a little more, it will slide on easier. Of course the big test will be how easily I can get it back on in the darkness after an afternoon hunt this fall.

When it comes to quiver mounting brackets, less is definitely more.

The Game Changer is now attached and ready to roll.

The quiver mount that screws into the aluminum body is adjustable vertically, which is another great feature. Being able to slide your quiver up and down on your bow based on your arrow length and axle to axle length can help keep your nocks out of the mud, which we all know can be a royal pain. I’m sure we can find more constructive things to do while on stand than picking mud out of our arrows with tiny little twigs.

Thanks to the in-line mounting system, the Game Changer mounts very close to your bow, which is supposed to help reduce torque and produce better balance. Of course I don’t shoot with my quiver on so this isn’t a huge benefit for me.

Without mounting it directly to the riser, I'm not sure the Game changer could get much closer.

The final feature I want to point out is the machined aluminum bracket that allows you to easily hang the quiver on a hook or branch after you take it off. Why every quiver manufacturer doesn’t do this is beyond me. It’s so simple and so easy, yet such a great feature. A big Thank You to Apex for including it.

The hood-mounted quiver hook. An ingenious invention and a simple benefit that can make or break your buying decision.

Well, that about sums up the Game Changer quiver from Apex Gear. No, I don’t think it will help anyone kill a 200 inch buck this fall, but it will certainly help you get your arrows in and out of the woods securely and quietly. Which, come to think of it, is probably a pretty big necessity if you want to shoot a 200 incher. So if you happen to be in the market for a new quiver, give this one a look. I have a feeling you’ll like it.

Every single piece of equipment on your bow has a purpose and is meant to maximize the performance of your bow. Rests designed to be deadly silent and get the arrow on its way more quickly add speed. Fiber optic sights increase shooting accuracy in low light conditions when that mature buck is most likely to present a shot. Stabilizers stabilize your bow and reduce noise and vibration to allow for a more consistent follow through after the shot. The list goes on and on. However, an often overlooked piece of equipment that receives little attention is the quiver. It's just meant to hold your arrows in place, right? Maybe so, until the folks Rage Broadheads developed the Ghost Quiver- the innovative quiver designed for all expandable broadheads.

The GHOST Quiver features a faceted skeletal hood and transparent windows for easy viewing of your broadheads. There's no foam to interfere with your broadheads or trap blade-ruining moisture in this design. Rather, a 2-mm thick aliphatic urethane rubberized interior secures the broadhead tips, keeping the blades sharp and locked at all times. MuffleGrip over-molding on the hood and dual shaft grippers silence sound and deaden vibration, while holding arrow shafts firmly in place and allowing simple and quiet arrow removal.

When mounted, the ultra-low-profile GHOST Quiveradds no more than 2 inches to the width of your bow, providing for easier maneuverability in the woods. Branches and brush stand very little chance of hanging up on the GHOST as you move to and around in your stand. And tipping the scales at a mere 9 ounces, the GHOST is barely noticeable attached to your bow, minimizing its affect on balance.

The new proprietary Coffin Lock cam system securely locks the quiver in place by way of an ingenious coffin-shaped taper on the dovetailed interlock. The genius of this design is that it allows users to safely, quickly and intuitively remove or attach the GHOST Quiver, even in complete darkness. To ensure that this quiver fits everyone's ideal needs, the GHOST is ambidextrous and offers multi-positional mounting, allowing archers to customize the quiver alignmentup or down, canted or vertical to best fit their individual preferences.

If you are interested in purchasing the Ghost Quiver, you can do so right here at bowhunting.com by clicking on the red GHOST Quiver links!

Since the introduction of the Soft Loc Quiver System it has only gained in popularity. The Soft Loc quickly became known as the quietest, mid-priced quiver available. When mounted on a bow, this quiver actually reduces felt vibrations therefore acting as a great, and very practical vibration dampener. The many awards for quality and innovation have posted this system to be quoted as “The best quiver system on the market”!

As with any good hunting dog, bloodline means everything. The patented Soft Loc Quiver is no different. The inception of the 5 Arrow Soft Loc made a big hit in 2001 and since has evolved into the introduction of a three arrow and seven arrow version. The beauty of the “system” is the extreme versatility of the quiver itself due to the unique rubber mount and dual guide rails. Attach or detach the quiver quickly and quietly. Vertical adjustment, vibration dampening, and hip holster adapter are all features that a great quiver must have. All are present in the Soft Loc family.

Alpine has re-designed the mounting assembly for the Soft Loc Quivers. The new mount will hold the quiver more securely in place and is slightly longer to help stabilize the mounting platform. If you are looking for a quiver that is unequalled in quality, innovation, dampening, and price, look no further.

Interested in purchasing a Soft Loc Quiver? Follow this link to buy yours right here from bowhunting.com!

Truglo, a leader in archery technology introduces two products that will certainly give you the edge you are looking for in the field this year. The Loc-Down Quiver and its patent pending one-handed quiver release make dismounting your quiver a breeze and fit both mechanical and fixed blade broadheads. The Micro-Brite Archery Site gives bowhunters the legendary brightness you've come to expect from Truglo sights while adding the new Tru-Touch soft-feel technical coating.

Last year Octane made a big splash with the introduction of the Hostage Pro capture style rest and their revolutionary quiver featuring rare earth magnets, as well as the quivers unmatched adjust-ability. Feedback that they received from some people was the need for a light weight quiver with all of the adjust-ability of the original Octane quivers. In steps the Bantam weight quiver.

This quiver accepts up to four arrows and holds them parallel to one another eliminating any fletch contact while holding everything tight to the bow. Like the other Octane quivers this one also features the same style quick disconnect system. A pre-cut closed foam insert with a corrosion inhibitor will do the duty of securing your broadheads.

The NXS Bowsight is Octane's answer for a product that many have asked for, but have yet to really receive. A fully micro-adjustable sight that offers a zero pin gap with out the use of angular pins. It is available in either a rigid hunter style or a dovetail extension. Both offer 2nd and 3rd axis adjustments. Another feature I like is it comes with a magnetic fiber optic cover with a built in sight light. The cover will dull your fibers in the brightest of sunlight for precision aiming while hunting or practicing and the battery powered light for use inside a ground blind or while shooting indoors.

The TripWire drop away rest is unique in that the power cord is not rigidly tied into your buss cable or cable slide so it will not effect your draw force, let off or bows tune. The launcher arm can be left in the up position while drawing or letting down, so you do not have to worry about the arrow bouncing around in the event of having to let down. Another cool feature is the launcher arm comes coated in a dampening material so you do not have to add fleece tape to your bows riser in attempt to quieten a noisy launcher arm.

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The Bowhunting.com staff is made up of "Average Joe" bowhunters from around the country who are serious about one thing - BOWHUNTING. Keep up to date with them as they work year-round at persuing their passion and bring you the most up-to-date information on bowhunting gear and archery equipment.

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